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Home Birth: It's Safe. And it's a Choice You Have.

March 5, 2018

Today, the Association of Ontario Midwives launches a new campaign to promote midwifery-attended home birth as a birth place option for Ontario families. The campaign, using a mix of radio and digital ads, aims to raise awareness and education about home birth, especially for those who may have never considered it before. Although the number of Ontarians who use the services of a midwife is growing every year (approximately 17% of all Ontario births in 2018 will be attended by a midwife), not everyone is aware of all their birth place options.

"Midwives attend births at home, in hospital and in birth centres," says Elizabeth Brandeis, RM, president of the Association of Ontario Midwives. "In fact, most midwifery clients choose to have a hospital birth. So we wanted to help educate the public to let them know that, for those with uncomplicated pregnancies, the research shows that home birth is a safe and responsible choice."

Midwives attend births at home, in hospital and in birth centres.

The campaign also addresses misconceptions about home birth with a midwife. Midwives are primary care providers, fully funded by the provincial government, and you don't need to see a doctor to get a referral for a midwife (use our Find a Midwife tool to find your closest clinic!).

The campaign runs from March 5 - 30 and includes 3,000 radio spots and 1.2 million targeted digital ads. Over 65% of the Ontario public will be reached by the radio spots, which will be played widely on more than 20 radio stations across the province. Listen to our radio ads here and here!

“ I hope that this campaign will lead to more people considering the option of out-of-hospital birth. It is an opportunity to start a public conversation about birth as a normal life event that often does not require medical intervention.” – Elizabeth Brandeis, RM